Welcome to Zeffy’s blog

A practical guide to planning and running a capital campaign as a UK charity. Covers all 12 steps from goal-setting and feasibility studies to the quiet phase, public phase, and donor retention, with UK-specific guidance on Gift Aid, trustee duties, UK grant funds, and Fundraising Regulator compliance.

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Salesforce for charities is one of the best-known CRM platforms on the market. Its Power of Us Programme is why most charity leaders have heard the phrase "free Salesforce." The reality is more nuanced. Eligible registered charities get a limited number of free Enterprise Edition licences. After that, per-user pricing applies. And the costs that make Salesforce work in practice (implementation partners, Success Plans, admin time, AppExchange add-ons) sit outside the licence line entirely. This guide covers what Salesforce actually costs UK charities in 2026: the Power of Us Programme, how to apply, the pricing structure for Nonprofit Cloud, the hidden costs behind the list price, and an honest look at when Salesforce is worth it for a small UK charity.

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A practical step-by-step guide to running a successful silent auction for a UK charity, covering fundraising goals, Gift Aid mechanics, venue licensing, item procurement, pricing, promotion, and post-event follow-up, with UK-specific legal and regulatory context throughout.

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Weekly collections keep the lights on, but they rarely cover everything a UK church is called to do. This guide brings together 45+ church fundraising ideas, from morning cafes and gospel music festivals to peer-to-peer campaigns and Gift Aid strategies, with UK-specific guidance on small society lottery registration, Gift Aid declarations, and VAT exemptions for fundraising events. Every idea includes startup costs, volunteer numbers, and revenue ranges in pounds.

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Looking for a free online raffle generator? Use Zeffy's tool at the top of this page to draw winners instantly. Need a full raffle platform to sell tickets and manage your fundraiser? Keep reading: we compare the best raffle apps and websites for UK charities, with honest pricing and real reviews.

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A practical guide to 50+ fundraising ideas for UK university societies, sports clubs, and student committees. Covers quick-start ideas you can launch this week, event-based fundraisers, online campaigns, product sales, and sports-specific ideas, plus the UK rules on Gift Aid, small society lotteries, SU approval, alumni engagement, and a 6-week planning timeline.

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Platform fees and tool sprawl quietly eat more charity budgets than any single line item. This guide cuts through it: 50+ tools across 11 categories that UK charities can use for free, with the catch (or lack of one) spelled out for each, including Gift Aid handling, UK competitor fees, and the Charity Digital Exchange verification route.

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A practical guide for UK charities and community groups on choosing a crowdfunding platform, launching a campaign in 9 steps, and keeping more of every pound raised. Covers Gift Aid handling, the Fundraising Regulator Code, UK GDPR, and an honest comparison of the 8 leading UK platforms.

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A comprehensive guide to school fundraising ideas for UK PTAs, school charities, and community fundraisers. Covers every school phase from primary to university, with UK-specific guidance on Gift Aid, small society lottery rules, and the best UK fundraising platforms.

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A well-chosen raffle prize can transform a small charity event into a genuine fundraising success. This guide covers 33 prize ideas for UK charities, PTAs, village halls and community groups, from budget-friendly basket ideas to headline prizes, alongside the UK small society lottery rules every organiser needs to understand before picking prizes.

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A practical guide to raffle basket ideas for UK charities and PTAs, covering galas, school fundraisers, charity golf days, and sponsored rides. Includes plain-English UK raffle law guidance, Gift Aid clarification, and £-priced basket themes.

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Influencer marketing gives UK charities a way to reach new donors, amplify campaigns, and inspire action without a paid-media budget. This guide covers how to find the right influencer, stay on the right side of the Fundraising Regulator Code, handle Gift Aid correctly, and build a campaign that delivers results.

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A little personalisation goes a long way in donor relationship management. This guide covers UK-specific stewardship practices: Gift Aid-aware segmentation, Fundraising Regulator Code compliance, UK GDPR and PECR rules for supporter communications, and how to consolidate your tool stack with free donor management software.

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Volunteers are the lifeblood of most UK charities and community groups. This guide walks you through every stage of building a volunteer programme: understanding your charity's legal duties, writing a proper volunteer agreement (not a contract), finding volunteers through UK channels, and training them well from day one.

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Want to fundraise for a cause you care about? This guide walks UK fundraisers through six practical steps to run a successful peer-to-peer or sponsored fundraising campaign, from setting up your page and writing your story to sharing widely and celebrating your supporters.

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Most small UK charities under £500k are stitching together four or five paid tools: JustGiving for donations, Ticket Tailor for events, a separate CRM, a newsletter platform, and an accounting package. This guide cuts through the noise with a practical, UK-first stack, built around Gift Aid handling, small-society raffle compliance, and tools that actually work on a phone at a Saturday-morning summer fete.

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A calendar raffle is one of the most profitable fundraisers a small UK charity or community group can run. Supporters buy a numbered calendar that enters them into every draw for the entire raffle period. This guide covers small society lottery registration, UK legal requirements, prize ideas, step-by-step setup, and how to run yours free on Zeffy.

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A complete guide for UK charities and community groups planning a tricky tray, Chinese auction or penny social in 2026. Covers the Gambling Act 2005 small society lottery framework, council registration, Gift Aid rules, prize ideas and a step-by-step planning checklist.

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Everything UK charities need to run a fair, compliant silent auction: 12 bidder-facing rules, Gift Aid and Fundraising Regulator guidance, mobile vs paper mechanics, volunteer protocols, a free template, and honest notes on how Zeffy enforces your rules automatically.

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Free printable raffle ticket templates for UK charities and community groups. Download in PDF, Google Docs, Canva, Adobe Express or Word, then customise for your fete, gala or Christmas raffle. Includes UK legal requirements under the Gambling Act 2005, A4 paper sizing in gsm, and guidance on when you need to register with your local council.

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Comparing the best e-commerce platforms for UK charities in 2026, from completely free tools to paid platforms. Zeffy leads with zero fees, Gift Aid support on donation add-ons, and a single dashboard for sales, donations, and supporter records. Also covers Shopify, Wix, WooCommerce, Squarespace, BigCommerce, and Ecwid, with UK pricing throughout.

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Summer is one of the best seasons for UK charities to raise money through community events. This guide covers 19 practical summer fundraising ideas, from paddleboard-a-thons and car-boot sales to glamping dinners and golf days, with UK-specific guidance on Gift Aid, small society lottery rules, and free tools to manage it all.

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